New Delhi, March 22 -- A US court has ordered South Korean gaming company Krafton to restore the leadership of one of its own studios after removing them in an attempt to avoid paying a large bonus.

The issue began when Krafton bought Unknown Worlds Entertainment in 2021 for $500 million. The studio is best known for creating the popular game Subnautica. As part of the agreement, Krafton vowed to pay an extra $250 million if the sequel, Subnautica 2, achieved certain sales targets.

The deal also allowed the studio to operate independently, with its leaders staying in charge unless there was a valid reason to remove them.

As the sequel moved closer to release, internal forecasts suggested that the bonus conditions would likely be met. ...